


It's Gonna Take A Lot To Drag Me Away From You

by theanonymousj



Series: Fire Emblem Musings [6]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Medium Burn, Prison, not like slow burn because it ain't that slow, so medium burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-30 22:26:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12662685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theanonymousj/pseuds/theanonymousj
Summary: Leo is a prisoner of war, taken into custody after his chapter in Birthright. The war ends, but someone has to watch him until negotiations with Nohr are complete - that's Takumi's job.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS FOR FIRE EMBLEM FATES BIRTHRIGHT
> 
> Just sayin'

“Ugh… Go ahead. Do what you must.”

Corrin stood tall before her adoptive brother, now kneeling weakly in the mud. Takumi himself had made sure to pull the Nohrian scum off his high horse, put him where he ought to be.

“No,” Takumi rolled his eyes at the sheer politeness, the ring of diplomacy in Corrin’s very tone, “accept your defeat, then we can end this together.”

Lord Leo of Nohr laughed darkly, “Don’t you see? This can never end, not until one of us is dead.”

“No, I can’t accept that. There was no need for our kingdoms to be at war in the first place. This is all Father's doing, Leo! He's fooled us all!”

“You've always been naive, Corrin. This is war! This is life and death! Only the strong survive! If Nohr bows down, we'll lose everything. Our land and our people...our culture and our legacy... Our families...even our lives. I won't let Hoshido take anything more from us! I won't back down!”

“Am I the one who's naive? Or is it you, blind to Garon's lust for power? “

“Ha! As though the Hoshidans have never ended a life to serve their own purpose. They would slit your throat in an instant if they thought it served them.”

“That's not true! From the moment I arrive in Hoshido, I was treated as if I belonged. The same goes for Azura. King Garon is mad with power, and he must be stopped!”

Ryoma rested his hand on Corrin’s shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze of reassurance, “Corrin, while I admire your attempts to level with Lord Leo, we simply do not have time to waste. We must press on to Nohr.”

“That’s pointless,” interjected the Nohrian prince from his spot on the ground, “even if you make it to Castle Krakenburg, you will all be slain there. None of you realize how strong Xander has become.”

“Leo, I've sparred with Xander dozens of times. I know he's strong, but I'm ready.”

“Hah! You mean your friendly little tickling contests up on the roof? You do know he always went easy on you, right? You...know that, right? Xander means business now, Corrin. He is not to be taken lightly. You may have stopped me and my small army of Faceless today... But I doubt the lot of you could defeat Xander all at once.”

“He can't be...that powerful... can he?”

Ryoma shook his head, hand falling from Corrin’s shoulder, “we don’t have time to doubt ourselves now Corrin, we must move.”

Takumi nodded in agreement, sliding an arrow into his yumi and raising it, aligning the sight with Leo. Predictably Corrin leapt between her two brothers, the sacred Yato in one hand ready to strike.

“You will not hurt him Takumi, that is an order.”

Takumi did not drop his bow, nor relax his stance, “he’s deliberately holding us up, Corrin, making you second guess yourself. Ryoma is right, we must keep moving.”

“Leo’s death will not solve anything.”

“Well I refuse to let him go like we did with your sister. We should have ended her while we had the chance.”

Corrin used her sword to strike the Fujin Yumi aside, “That is not the Hoshidan way!”

“You know nothing of Hoshido!”

There was a sudden, stony silence between the two, both poised to strike. From behind Corrin came a heavy sigh as Leo dropped his head.

“He’s right Corrin. You let me go and I must fulfil my duty, report this trespassing and let father carry out the orders. Assuming you do not wish those events to pass you must do the merciful thing and kill me.”

Corrin swallowed hard as she turned back to her other little brother, knuckles white around Yato’s grip, “I will not kill you Leo. There must be another way.”

“If I may, my lady,” Kaze approached the group with some caution, struggling to find the courage to talk over a conversation meant for royalty, “I would suggest we make use of the prison at the fort. Lord Leo and his retainers pose no threat to us behind bars, and there will be no need to kill them. They might even give up valuable information if kept alive.”

Ryoma nodded, “as we are short on time I am forced to make a decision Corrin, and I can only agree with your retainer. The prison at the fort is a sensible place to keep Lord Leo and his retainers until a later date.”

“They might even prove themselves as hostages when we reach Nohr,” added Hinoka, a foot on the unconscious body of the mage Odin.

Corrin nodded curtly, sheathing her blade and preparing access to the astral plane. She disliked the idea of imprisoning her dear brother, but it made sense. And he had said himself, this was war and war was not kind. The portal opened and Leo, now cuffed by a well-equipped Kaze, was lead through it. Hinoka followed with Odin slung across her Pegasus, and Takumi, dragging Niles by the collar of his shirt. The walk across the grounds to the prison was a short one and the cells were found to be well kept despite the lack of use.

“I’m sorry it has to be this way, Leo. But if you cannot find it in yourself to join us, I have no better option.”

Corrin slid the bars across and locked them into place herself.

“I’m sorry too, but I still can’t let you go to Nohr.”

She frowned at him, head shaking slightly, “how can you stop me now?”

“I can’t. But I must urge you to take a pilgrimage to Notre Sagesse. Notre Sagesse is home to the Rainbow Sage. I don't know who he is or what he does, but Xander visited him ages ago. Upon returning, he put on display of powers the likes of which I've never seen. I fear for you if choose to face Xander without making this journey, you will not defeat him.”

Corrin nodded, “very well, I shall discuss it with Ryoma. Thank you for the help, Leo.”


	2. Chapter 2

Leo heard very little from inside his cell. While his guards did not torture or interrogate him, kept him well fed and let him keep his dignities, they told him very little of the war. He’d hoped Corrin might visit him, but when he found the confidence to ask – and he asked a former retainer of Queen Mikoto, a diviner named Orochi – he was simply informed that Corrin and the other Hoshidan royals were too busy to deal with their prisoners right now. In his mind he envisioned the group parading through Castle Krakenburg’s halls, slaying each and every man and woman who came before them with their enchanted weapons, Raijinto, the noble Yato, and the Fujin Yumi. A part of him knew that Elise and Camilla would side with Corrin, another part of him recognised he might lose his brother and father. A part of him was already mourning them. Niles and Odin recognised this melancholy mood and did their best to cheer him up, taking it in turns to sing songs of their youths, crack jokes, and recollect their favourite stories as retainers for Leo. Their efforts were much appreciated by their lord, though did little to quell the fear in his stomach that his family would be forever torn apart.

Then one day things changed. From the other side of the portal, not so far from the prison, the ringing of bells could be heard. In Hoshido’s towns people flooded the streets, rejoicing as the war had been won. Word quickly travelled to the prison guard that the worst of it all was over, and his tangible delight was enough to alert Leo to the truth; Garon lay dead, Nohr was defeated, and Hoshido had triumphed in the mission for peace. He had foreseen his father’s death, and more recently he had not been close to the king. It felt odd, but he wasn’t truly sad for the passing of Garon. And as little else reached his ears, he knew not of the state of the rest of his family. He wrongly assumed Corrin would tell him in due time.

But Corrin did not come to the prison. The guards changed regularly, but none of them had been with the group at Krakenburg and none seemed inclined to share any further news. A week later the only new information he received was that, apparently, he and his retainers were being shipped off to a different prison. Cuffed at the wrists, they were moved to a barred carriage, which travelled to Castle Shirasagi – a place he only recognised from his studies – the town around it freshly rebuilt after the disastrous attack, looking clean and bright and welcoming. Oddly he found the dungeons off the castle to be similarly bright and clean, and the cells to be larger and the beds to be comfier than at the fort. His only discomfort was the lack of information on the state of Nohr and his family.

A few days from the move three people came to visit the prison, two retainers and their lord. Prince Takumi’s footsteps echoed in the quiet prison as he walked the length of the corridor, passed Odin and Niles, until he reached Lord Leo. Lips pursed and brow furrowed, he refused to meet Leo’s eyes as he spoke.

“I’m here on Princess Corrin’s behalf.”

The formality would have been pointless if it were anyone but Takumi and Leo speaking, but their icy relationship began and ended with Corrin stopping an impromptu execution back in the forest in Nohr so it was simply less awkward than trying to pretend there was something akin to friendship or peace between the two.

“Why does Princess Corrin not visit me herself?”

“The Princess is in mourning. Our trials at your home have left her emotionally devastated, so she requested one of her siblings talk with you instead.”

“Why must one of her siblings mean you?”

Now wasn’t the time to be petty; if Corrin was too upset to visit her brother, something terrible had surely occurred and Leo needed to know. But he couldn’t help this little vendetta against Takumi. It felt… natural for the two to be at odds.

“King Ryoma, as you might imagine, is busy. Princess Hinoka is still stationed in Nohr as an ambassador. Princess Sakura is occupied with healing the wounded. If you’d prefer not to hear me out then I will go and inform Princess Corrin that you did not wish to speak.”

Leo dropped his head, dropped the apathy, and gestured for Takumi to continue.

“We fought several battles in the halls of Krakenburg Castle before finally reaching the throne room where, and I’m sure you’ve heard this much, we defeated your father, King Garon.”

He nodded, eyes tearless. Takumi seemed a little confused at the lack of reaction, but swiftly moved on.

“On our side we sadly lost the Lady Azura, a cousin of yours I believe.”

“I have only the vaguest memories of Lady Azura, but I shall duly mourn her nonetheless.”

Takumi paused here, seeming a little choked up. He moved his gaze to a wall outside Leo’s cell and took a steadying breath.

“Were you… close?”

Takumi bit his lower lip, pondering the words to reply with, “I… she was like a sister to me. Surely if you had had the chance to know her you would have loved her too.”

Immediately Takumi regretted opening up to Leo and scowled, reprimanding himself for such a show of emotion. Even if the war was over, Nohr was still his enemy. They took his father from him. But now… they had taken more than that back. Ne really had no right to think like that.

“Prince Takumi?”

Takumi tilted his head at his name, wondering how long he’d remained silent for. Keeping Leo in suspense like this was not at all fair.

“You have my greatest condolences, Lord Leo, for you did not just lose your father to this war. Your brother Xander sustained injurie –“

He was cut off by a sob from Leo, a broken-hearted, choked sob. The sound echoed around the jail before a second sob came. Takumi decided to finish his sentence.

“- sustained injuries that were too great to heal. I assure you that he passed quickly and peacefully, however. His pain was not prolonged.”

Suddenly angry Leo flew at the bars of his cell, Takumi stepping well out of the way as he did so, “did you kill him?!”

Takumi shook his head, breathing deeply to remain calm. He remembered feeling the same way after the news that King Sumeragi had passed; even as a child, embittered and angry. It’s easier to lose somebody when there’s someone to blame.

“No,” he replied quietly, “Princess Corrin alone is responsible for your brother’s death.”

Leo howled. He dropped to his knees, hands wrapped tightly around the iron bars. For a moment, Takumi turned to check for the reactions of Odin and Niles, finding them both at the front of their cells listening intently. He knew that, if they could, they would be at their Lord’s side to comfort him. He didn’t have the authority to release them, however, so even though he wanted them at Leo’s side it simply could not be that way.

Takumi knelt before Leo, levelling with him, all animosity between the two gone now Takumi could see the pain he was in.

“Lord Leo, I must further burden you with bad news.”

The wet hiccups stopped suddenly, Leo’s tearful brown eyes meeting Takumi’s for the first time. The gaze held a little longer than what was necessary, Takumi too aware that what he would say next would be unforgivable.

“Princess Elise is dead.”

Leo stared, wide eyed, at Takumi, tears rolling freely down his cheeks. From behind Takumi, Odin swore, overwhelmed by grief.

“No.”

The denial was soft, it made Takumi’s heart ache.

“No, please no.”

He let go of the bars and fell back on his heels, then bent double and sobbed into his hands, words of disbelief falling from his lips in a never-ending stream. Takumi felt tears well up in his own eyes, the image of the young girl’s body collapsing in her brother’s arms filling his mind.

“I’m so sorry Leo. She… she jumped between Corrin and Xander before anyone could stop her and-“

“Enough!” he screamed, “Leave me.”

Takumi walked back out of the jail obediently. He walked straight to his room, and there on the bed began to weep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys, I promise much more Leo/Takumi in the coming chapters now the set up is done.


	3. Chapter 3

Niles and Odin sat in their cells bathing in pure agony as they listened to their Lord continue to weep for his lost brother and sister. Odin, his dark magic tendencies pulling at him, wished he could try his hand at any of the dark arts – necromancy especially – to bring them back just a moment long enough to say a proper farewell. Xander… Xander they had all expected in one way or another, but he’d lay down his soul to give Leo just a few precious moments with little Elise. Gods she was so young, so full of life and hope. She hadn’t deserved this death, not to die before seeing a world of peace being built. And sure, Odin didn’t believe hugely in it yet, but if his Lord Leo chosen to put his faith in Hoshido then so did he. In his own cell, inconveniently placed aside Leo’s as opposed to opposite like Odin’s, Niles was filled with fury. Yes on the one hand he too was mourning Elise and Xander, two bright stars in his own dark life, but on the other hand it was his duty above all else to be there for his master – and with a wall as thick as a tree trunk between them how could he help?

The guards changed over, and when they did two people came down the winding staircase instead of one, laughing and joking between themselves. In the back of his mind Niles knew he had no real reason to be angry at them for that, but he couldn’t help himself. How dare they jest in the presence of his mourning prince. He shouted at them, stopping them dead in their tracks. A blanket of silence fell over the jail and all was still, even Leo stopped his sobbing. Niles bit his lip, realising he ought to be reprimanded, to be beaten for such behaviour. He was a prisoner after all.

They man who responded to his call approached the cell slowly, and eventually his scarred face and messy ponytail pulled into view. While his expression was a little put off, he didn’t appear angry or smug – and now, Niles considered, it was clear that the Hoshidan way was not to needlessly beat their prisoners. He was somewhat glad of that, even if he thought it a little soft of them.

“Yes, prisoner? Can I do something for you?”

He seemed chipper, as if there hadn’t just been a war. It was strange, really.

“My name is Niles,” he corrected, his own sour mood hopefully levelling the feel of the conversation. It did no such thing.

“Hi Niles, I’m Hinata. How can I help you?”

Hinata… that was a name he’d heard before. And now he really looked at the brunette’s messy style, it did somewhat resemble that of Lord Takumi’s. Was Hinata a retainer of his? Quite possibly.

“Niles?”

Niles blinked out of his thoughts, “your Lord Takumi’s retainer, yes?”

Hinata gave a proud smile and puffed his chest out a little, “yeah, I’m one of them.”

“Have your Prince come down here at once. I must be let out of my cell.”

He shared a glance with whoever had accompanied down the stairs, a woman kept well out of sight by the thick prion walls, “I… I can ask him to come down here, but he doesn’t have the authority to do that.”

“Do what? Open a door?”

It did sound dumb, but in the case of nobility and their staff as prisoners, only the King, Queen, and Crown Royal had access to the keys, as it were. The physical keys themselves, however, were much easier to obtain than one might think.

“I only want to attend to my Lord, Hinata. Surely that is something you can understand.”

Hinata was a little unnerved by the puppy dog eyes that followed that statement – or rather eye, as a path remained over one of them. It was unbefitting of such a ruffian type. But if their roles were reversed and it was Takumi crying over, he dreaded to think, Lady Sakura, he would want the same too. Eventually he nodded.

“I’ll see what I can do for you.”

Niles counted the passing minutes between Hinata climbing the stairs and his return. It took some twenty minutes – and the reasons or this were many in Niles’s mind. Perhaps the castle was extraordinarily large, perhaps Prince Takumi was cruel and insisted on making them wait on him. But as soon as he heard two steps of footsteps descending the stairwell new hope returned to him, hope that he could help his master. Odin was a good retainer – no, a brilliant one – but his forte lay in the physical end of the job. Niles was, incredibly, the one who was more emotionally available to Lord Leo.

Hinata lead his master to Niles’s cell and, taking one quick look around himself, Takumi pulled a set of keys from beneath the skirt of his robes and unlocked the cell door. While no one made any attempt to cuff Niles or threaten him in anyway, it did not go unnoticed that Hinata kept one hand on the grip of his katana – although Niles could only decide that he would do much the same. Takumi walked in silence to Leo’s cell and unlocked that too letting Niles step inside. Leo was curled up on the bed, his cloak wrapped around his quaking body, his now quiet sobs just loud enough to be audible to Niles, and maybe Hinata and Takumi. Niles turned to thank Takumi for the privilege, but the Prince simply dropped the keys into Hinata’s palm and stalked off quickly.

“I can give you until sunset, Niles. No longer.”

Without any clue of where the sun might be in the sky, Niles nodded, “Give my thanks to your Prince.”

Hinata, looking after the place his Prince had been, then turned to Odin and gestured the keys to him, an offer, Odin shook it off: he was always a little uncomfortable with these things, and had his own mourning to do for the little Princess. Hinata shrugged and walked away.

Niles knelt by his Lord’s bed, brushing the blonde locks out of his eyes and offering him a kind smile, “Lord Leo, I’m here now.”

Eventually Leo pushed himself upright and threw his arms around Niles’ neck, holding his retainer tightly as he bawled into his shoulder. Niles hushed him, knowing words would be of little comfort right now. No one could replace the hole in Leo’s heart, a gaping wound in the shape of his lost family. Nothing could have prepared him for the pain of losing Elise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you promise Leo/Takumi and you give Leo/Niles.... It's 4 am okay just give me time I'll get there.
> 
> Also this is all unedited drivel, if you catch any spelling/grammar fuck ups please do tell.


	4. Chapter 4

“Takumi?”

Ryoma let himself into his brother’s chambers, no retainers on the door and no reply from the prince.

“Takumi?” he called out again. There was a grunt from the bed in reply

The king crossed the room, found his brother curled up at the head of the bed, a book he’d read a thousand times in his hands, his eyes glazed over. He took the book from him, gently placing it on the nightstand, and sat on the bed beside him. The focus returned to Takumi’s hazel eyes, his gaze drawn to the dark window that overlooked the palace gardens. When had it gotten so late?

“You missed our meeting today, Takumi. I wanted a report on our prisoner.”

The words went over his head, his thoughts scattered uselessly across the floor of his brain with no one to sort through them, pick them up and order them.

“Nohr’s Queen would like to know her little brother is being treated well in his stay here. I don’t have time to watch him, that’s why I have you.”

Although he was reprimanding Takumi, his voice was soft. He’d never seen his brother quite like this, so turned in from the world and defeated.

“Speak to me, brother. What troubles you?”

Takumi managed a half-hearted sob, the look of pain on Leo’s face as he told him of Elise’s death haunting his mind first, quickly followed by how the young girl’s body had fallen between Xander and Corrin. Another sob came, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as he bent double to hide his face in shame. In comfort and solidarity, Ryoma placed a heavy hand on the Prince’s shoulder.

“Princess… Elise…” he managed between shuddering breaths, “she was… so young…”

Ryoma nodded, the memory of her death still fresh in his own mind; perhaps she was the most tragic casualty of the war.

“You can’t blame yourself, Takumi.”

“You weren’t… you weren’t the one who had… to tell Lord Leo.”

Apparently even if he’d thought Takumi had hated Leo, this was not the case. The two shared some kind of empathic link, had somehow bonded over the young Princess’s death.

“Perhaps I was wrong to put you in charge of Lord Leo. Perhaps you aren’t ready-“

Takumi looked up at his brother, a fierceness in his eyes, “No! I am ready… I- I can do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 5:30am. Kill me. Also thanks for reading this mess.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed the title so it was a line from Africa because Toto rules my life rn.

“What are you doing here?”

Hinata nearly jumped as Niles questioned him from a heap of blankets on the prison bed.

“It’s not your turn for duty. Why are you here?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

He took a step toward Lord Leo’s cell before Leo himself joined the conversation, “If you’re going to tell me, please also inform my retainers. Why are you here?”

Hinata sighed heavily, and the keys rattled as he unlocked Leo’s cell.

“Queen Camilla of Nohr refuses to continue negotiations with her brother in our jail. Therefore he will be moved to better accommodation until such a time as he can move back to Nohr.”

“And what about me? And Niles?” Odin chorused form his cell as he watched his Lord stand free in the corridor of the jail.

“You will remain here until that time.”

Niles had come forward in his cell now, a blanket still draped across his shoulders as he leaned on the bars of the door, “and how do we know you’re not taking him away to torture him or something?”

Fear suddenly washed over Leo, his eyes wide as he spun on the spot to look at Hinata, silently demanding an answer.

“You really think I’d execute you? Sheesh, I thought we’d been pretty good to you.”

The answer wasn’t satisfying in any capacity, but Leo allowed himself to be lead up the stairs and into one of the many great rooms in the castle; the floor carpeted in a rich red and the walls whitewashed and filled with bright tapestries and colourful windows.

“Is the whole palace like this?”

Hinata nodded, not stopping for Leo to fully take in the beauty of the room but instead climbing yet another set of stairs, the same rich carpet winding up the centre of them, “I guess. It was quite recently refurbished by the late Lady Mikoto during her reign here. She cared a lot for Hoshido’s aesthetics.”

Leo supposed, in many ways, the royals of Nohr equally cared about their aesthetics. Those aesthetics were just darker, less welcoming. That did seem to be how Nohr compared to Hoshido: dark and less welcoming. For him though, there was something comforting about the stone walls and the grim artwork that graced the walls of Krakenburg, and the never-ending broken system of corridors that led to nowhere. In fact he was missing that darkness now, he felt so out of place in Hoshido’s glittering sunlight.

The pair arrived at a white door gilded in gold, and Hinata opened it to reveal a small atrium, glass roofed and adorned in book shelves. There were three further doors, two closed – one grander than the other – and one open. Hinata pointed to the open one.

“That door leads to the guest chambers, which you can consider home for the time being. You’re not go further into the palace without the express permission of Lord Takumi and an escort.”

Leo could have retorted with some comment on how it wasn’t exactly a step up from prison in that case, but on the one hand he supposed he had access to games and books to keep himself occupied, and on the other he was just so tired that such a comeback would have been draining. Instead he excused himself to the guest rooms and locked the door. The chambers were simple, two white-washed rooms separated by thick curtain. The front room was a traditional Hoshidan living space with low furniture and a rack of decorative yumis – he’d already assumed from Hinata’s earlier suggestion that he was in Lord Takumi’s chambers, but this confirmed that theory. Behind the curtain was a four-poster bed, white linen drapery hanging about it, trimmed in fine gold thread. The sheets on the bed matched the drapes, and the embroidery glittered as the morning sunlight streamed in through the balcony windows. He tried the door set amongst the windows but found it locked, presumably for security reasons. They didn’t want him magically vanishing from a forty foot drop balcony, after all.

He spent the rest of the morning curled up on the bed in his cloak, still mourning the loss Elise. Every so often he swore he would catch the sight of her blonde locks out of the corner of his eyes, then the daydream would slip away from him and he was left alone again. But beyond his thoughts of Elise and Xander he was pining for home. He glared at the white stone balcony, willing it to turn dark and the sky to fill with clouds. He felt too warm in his thick Nohrian clothing now out of the cool prison cell, but he loathed the idea of parting with his clothes. Incidentally this was when a blue haired girl found her way into his room, hands full of fine silk cloth. He sat up and looked at her with tired eyes.

“Who are you?”

“Oboro, Lord Takumi’s retainer – the superior one, that is.”

He couldn’t quite tell whether she was joking or genuinely believed herself to be the better retainer. He assumed the rules for retainers remained the same in Hoshido as they did in Nohr: that no retainer could ever be a cut above the other. It must be some sort of joke, and his mood was simply too sour to recognise that properly.

“I’ve brought you some clothes more fitting for this season, Lord Leo. You haven’t changed since you were first taken into custody.”

“These clothes have been washed since then. I’d like to keep them on.”

“I’m afraid you’ll be dining with the royal family at midday and it is expected of you to dress appropriately. I’m also worried you’ll overheat in that… is that wool?”

Oboro stepped forward to touch the burgundy jumper, interested by the knitted texture. Leo jerked away from her hand but she insisted on touch him anyway.

“Get off me!”

She sighed irritably, “well if you can’t put up with me touching you at all, I’ll simply sit here and enjoy the show as you try to put a kimono on for the first time.”

Leo glanced at the pile of colourful silks with a new-found dread, “no. I won’t wear a kimono.”

“You’re a prisoner of Hoshido, I think you will do as your told.”

What was she, his mother? Bossing and bullying him needlessly – it was insufferable. He suddenly wished Camilla had left him to rot in prison where there were no dress expectations.

“Even so, what right do you have to treat me like a child?!”

Oboro went suddenly quiet, and for a moment it looked as though she might cry – that was until fury overtook that mournful look on her face. She said nothing at all, simply picked the first of the kimonos and unfolded it with great care. The robe was actually made of a very pretty black silk, printed with tiny white birds.

“Undress, or I will undress you.”

With that threat hanging over his head he retreated behind the ornate dressing screen to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half the chapter was written at 6am this morning, the other half was at nearly 6pm this afternoon while listening to Toto's Africa on repeat for an hour... tell me if you know where the line is.


End file.
